Floor-based exercise is an important form of exercise for many individuals seeking to build body strength and improve fitness. Popular forms of such floor-based exercise are Pilates and yoga, and classes are often conducted on a horizontal surface such as a floor or ground.
Exercise mats are often used by individuals attending such exercise classes to be placed on the floor to cushion the individual's body from the hardness of ground or the floor's surface. Conventional exercise mats are flat and sized to accommodate a user's body without taking up too much floor space. Conventional mats are often rectangular in shape and relatively thin such that they can be rolled up and conveniently carried by the individual.
With conventional flat exercise mats, when the user is lying in a supine position, namely lying on their back with their face up, their head, neck and upper back are flat on the floor and are in a position that replicates a standing position. In this position, the spine's preferred position may be referred to as ‘static spine’ meaning that the back is being held with natural curves of the spine in place using muscles such as the Transverse Abdominal muscle (TA) and multifidus. It is considered that the “static spine” position, when translated into an upright stance, will only provide appropriate muscle conditioning for a ‘static spine’, namely standing still.
It is well established that during normal upright movement, such as fast walking, running or jumping, the upright upper body pitches slightly forward. In particular, when initiating movements such as fast walking, running and jumping, the upper half of the spine is slightly pitched forward from the hips, a position that can be referred to as ‘dynamic spine’.
As the ‘static spine’ position doesn't replicate the forward pitch of the upper body in the ‘dynamic spine’ position, exercise on conventional flat exercise mats does not allow an individual to effectively exercise postural muscles, which are used when running or jumping. Hence, athletes that run and jump are unable to fully benefit from using conventional flat exercise mats in their workouts, particularly if they are performing exercises to strengthen abdominal and back muscles in a lying or horizontal position.
Thus, there is a need to provide an exercise mat or cushion that can be used by an individual in a lying or horizontal position, as well as a vertical position, that replicates the forward pitch of the upper body during upright movement so as to more effectively target and strengthen specific muscle groups.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.